A Tone Like That Can Only Mean One Thing
by ASwordByAnyOtherName
Summary: Summary: First fanfic, centered around Percival and the relationships between the Knights of the Round Table. Rated K because of paranoid author. All characters are property of BBC's Merlin.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary** : First fanfic, centered around Percival and the relationships between the Knights of the Round Table. I don't own anything!

Swords clanked and clashed on the training field, the steel glinting in the sunlight. Arthur's knights were at the peak of their training, and the recent ambush on the western part of Camelot's lands from Mercia proved that they could only get better.

Percival and Gwaine were paired up, which they both enjoyed. Gwaine was spry and light on his feet, but his muscle was no match for Percival's bulging biceps and hulking shoulders. Gwaine sidestepped and dodged Percival's sword, then somersaulted on his shoulder, coming up behind Percival. When training, the orders were to disarm only, and Gwaine could think of one logical way to do that. He used the hilt and hit Percival right in his shoulder muscle – unexpectedly, Percival went down faster than he could blink, with no idea of what had just happened.

"Arthur!" came Gwaine's cry, jolting Arthur's attention from Leon's sword. Leon and Arthur immediately plunged their swords into the ground and took off in the direction of Gwaine's voice – a tone like that could only mean one thing.

Percival laid on the ground on his side with Gwaine hunched over him, a look of worry and helplessness etched on his face. "I don't know what went wrong, I just hit him on the shoulder" he said in his familiar lilt. "It's alright, Gwaine, I'm sure Gaius will sort him out," Leon reassured as Arthur turned Percival on his back and started lightly slapping his cheek, hoping he would regain consciousness.

Arthur noticed four young knights that had stopped training as soon as the scene unfolded before them, calling for them to come nearer. "Quickly boys, let's get Percival here in to Gaius. Pick up a limb and move as quick as you can." Each boy grabbed an arm or a leg, and Arthur supported his head as Leon and Gwaine followed, looking exceptionally morose.

The trip from the training field to the old physician's chambers seemed to be twice as long as normal, and Gwaine was especially sensitive to how the young knights' footfalls seemed to wobble as they spread mud and grass along their path. Merlin appeared seemingly out of nowhere about midway through their trek, automatically taking into account Gwaine's expression and Percival's continued unconsciousness.

Finally, they were at the old oak door, which Merlin jumped ahead and opened, taking special care to move Gaius's familiar potions and pestles to form a space for Percival to lie. Gaius greeted his party with a stoic "What happened?" as soon as they crossed the threshold. The young knights laid Percival on the table with as much gentleness as 18-year old boys have, while Gwaine took the time to explain how the training accident happened. Arthur dismissed the young knights with a quick nod, and they immediately retreated, Leon following behind.

As soon as the five men left the room, Arthur sprang into action – "Can you fix him, Gaius? What is it?" Gaius had his large magnifying glass out and was examining Percival's forehead by candlelight. "I'm not sure yet, Sire, but you'd better leave me to it" was his gruff answer. Merlin hovered close by, bringing poultices and more candles closer to Percival's still frame. Gwaine had already sat down in the chair in the corner, bracing himself for a long, guilt-filled night of waiting. After all, it was his doing that brought them all here, and brought the glimmer of worry into Arthur's eyes.

Arthur finally stood up and noticed Gwaine in the corner. He gave a quick nod and said, "See you tomorrow, Merlin", and then, with a hand gently on his shoulder, quietly told Gwaine, "Give me an update when you have it. I'm sure he's going to be fine."


	2. Chapter 2

The night dragged on, silent as ever. The flames flickering in Gwaine's eyes, his expression somber – it was like night and day compared with his usual easygoing attitude.

After Arthur had left about 4 hours prior, Gaius and Merlin did their usual dance around their patient, monitoring his vital signs, checking his pulse, checking for fever, and passing across poultices. Still, Percival didn't wake. At long last, Gaius muttered to Merlin, "I've done all I can. Though perhaps you can do more?"

Merlin took one look at Gwaine, finally snoozing in the corner, and looked back at Gaius, his face scrunched up in his usual scheme-creating face. "Do you think it'd be safe to do it with – (he nodded toward Gwaine) here? He won't leave until Percival wakes; I'm not sure how else to make him leave". Gaius leaned over thoughtfully. He had been around Camelot and the Knights enough to know there were two things they put above the rest: duty and honor. "If we gave him something to do in order to help, something that would make him leave the castle for just a few hours, then we can work in tandem to hopefully help Percival wake."

Merlin immediately jumped at the idea. "We could make him look for herbs! … Oh wait, that's what you usually make me do. We could look together for herbs, but then I won't be able to be here." His face turned quizzical: "What if we just knock him out?"

At first, Gaius balked at the idea of causing harm to someone on purpose, but on a second glance, Merlin's plan would go well. They could work without interruption, and could chalk Gwaine's unconsciousness to exhaustion – he had been cramped in a small chair for most of the day and night. "OK, Merlin, I hate to say it, but you do have a point. We can always say he's simply exhausted himself waiting for Percival to wake".

At the shaded praise, Merlin's face immediately broke out into his signature goofy grin. "Permission to do it now?" Gaius sighed. "Now is as good a time as any".

By this point, Merlin's powers had grown so strong, he didn't need to utter a thing. A momentary gold shimmer crossed his eyes, and Gwaine slumped further in the chair. Though Merlin's magic was mighty, he still deferred to Gaius's call of "Merlin, help me get him to the cot here; he'll be more comfortable when he wakes". Together, Merlin and Gaius lifted Gwaine and set him on Gaius's cot near the table where Percival lay still. Merlin then went to Percival, laying his hands on his massive chest. He closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to find the source of Percival's pain and extended unconsciousness. His hands moved quickly from Percival's chest to his head – his magic had told him that Percival's heart still beat like a drum, healthy as any.

It was when Merlin laid his hands on Percival's forehead that he sensed the dark pain within. It emanated from his shoulder, which matched Gwaine's telling, all the way up to his right ear. Merlin unconsciously narrated this to Gaius, who immediately told him of the nerve that went from the shoulder to the head.

With this information, Merlin simply nodded. He turned his hands this way and that, guiding and drawing the dark pain from Percival out through his ear. At long last, a whoosh of grey smoke-like matter came out, joining the cramped air of Gaius's chambers. Percival immediately grunted and flinched, showing the first signs of waking up in six hours.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own anything!

 ** _Previously:_**

 _It was when Merlin laid his hands on Percival's forehead that he sensed the dark pain within. It emanated from his shoulder, which matched Gwaine's telling, all the way up to his right ear. Merlin unconsciously narrated this to Gaius, who immediately told him of the nerve that went from the shoulder to the head._

 _With this information, Merlin simply nodded. He turned his hands this way and that, guiding and drawing the dark pain from Percival out through his ear. At long last, a whoosh of grey smoke-like matter came out, joining the cramped air of Gaius's chambers. Percival immediately grunted and flinched, showing the first signs of waking up in six hours._

Merlin didn't know what to focus on first – the grey smoke-like matter that just joined his atmosphere, or the fact that Percival was much closer to consciousness. While he was jumping between the two, Gaius had his usual laser-like focus on Percival. He immediately went to get a small compress and a damp cloth, and began to dab at Percival's face. Merlin, finally coming to the conclusion that the grey-like matter had evaporated into the air, joined Gaius at the table.

When Percival finally cracked his left eye open – his right just didn't want to work – he saw what every Knight of Camelot fears: Gaius and Merlin huddled over him, worry etched on their faces. His joints screamed and ached at laying on wood for hours, and a groan escaped with his question: "Hmmph, wha' happen'd?"

Merlin and Gaius shared a worried look: "You don't remember?" questioned Gaius. Percival shook his head and started to get up, though stopped almost immediately, as his vision had started to swim. Here he had just woken up – after a while of being knocked out or asleep, he didn't know – and he was determined to find answers before crawling back into that deep, dark slumber he knew so well. Gaius put a well-meaning hand on his shoulder. "Try not to move yet; I need you to answer some questions first", he said in his characteristically slow drawl. Percival was worried, but after trying to open his eye again, he took a deep breath: "I'm ready whenever you are".

"Who's your King?" asked Gaius. "King Arthur", Percival answered at once.

" _Do you know what day it is?"_

" _Tuesday?"_ This was more of a question than an answer.

" _Who's the boy to my left here?"_

" _Merlin."_ Came was a definite answer.

" _Do you remember what you were doing today before being knocked unconscious?"_

So he was knocked out – but how, and why? Percival stuttered, "I – I'm – I remember getting dressed this morning, but…" his voice trailed off. He was all of a sudden, so sleepy. Gaius seemed to sense that he was on the cusp of sleep again, as his gentle voice came back: "it's alright, you remembered a good deal. We'll get you a pillow, and we can talk again soon."

Percival nodded and closed his eyes, welcoming the dark once more. He didn't even stir when Merlin shifted a pillow under his head and stretched a thin blanket across as much of him as it could cover. Above him, Merlin and Gaius shared a tense look. It was so strange to see the big, hulking knight in such a vulnerable position, even stuttering.

"But you won't _let_ me pet your sheep" came a mumble off to the right. In all the excitement about Percival waking up, Merlin and Gaius had almost forgotten about Gwaine's sleeping form. A wry chuckle came from Merlin as Gaius's eyebrow shot up in surprise. It was amazing what men said when they were awake, but if you really wanted to see a man's soul, speak to him as he's coming out of a deep sleep.

Merlin went to his friend's side: "Gwaine, come on, wake up" he nudged the sleeping knight. Gwaine shot up in bed, almost toppling the cot: "What the hell am I doing down here? How's Percy? Did he wake up?"

Shaking his head slightly at the influx of questions, Merlin answered: "Percival just woke up, but so did you. You collapsed soon after Arthur left, and have been asleep since." Gwaine shot up out of bed, ignoring Merlin's aid and going straight to Percival's side. "You need to go back to your own quarters and rest, there's too much going on here tonight. Percival's just resting right now; you can see him in the morning, I promise" Merlin soothed.

It wasn't until Gaius chimed in that Gwaine finally took a look at both of them, and realizing that he really hated sleeping in that dratted chair, he finally agreed. "Merlin, why don't you walk Gwaine back to his chambers, just to make sure he's alright" Gaius suggested. Merlin agreed, realizing he could update Arthur on Percival's condition and ask to stay with Gaius tomorrow morning, killing two birds with one stone – and denying the prat the chance to throw his morning goblet of wine at him like usual.

As Merlin and Gwaine set off in the castle for the knight's chambers, Gaius checked Percival once more, then settled in to his reading desk with a thick dust-laden book. It was finally time to check that dark grey smoke that came from Percival's ear, and to assess what threat it could pose to Camelot.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Thank you for the reviews and reads! I own nothing._

 _ **Previously** : As Merlin and Gwaine set off in the castle for the knight's chambers, Gaius checked Percival once more, then settled in to his reading desk with a thick dust-laden book. It was finally time to check that dark grey smoke that came from Percival's ear, and to assess what threat it could pose to Camelot._

It was an unusually silent walk to Gwaine's chambers across the castle. His small, plain white room was kept with the rest of the knights, close to the main hall and a small exit door for emergencies. Merlin knew his friend was still worried about Percival, as the two knights – _friends_ – had grown increasingly close in a short amount of time, especially since they were knighted at the same time, after Arthur took back his throne from another of Morgana's failed usurps.

"Listen, Gwaine, Percival will be OK, he really will", Merlin tried to sound soothing and confident; how did Gaius make it sound so easy?

Gwaine just took one look at Merlin and immediately sagged his shoulders. "I know, mate, it's just so hard, I didn't even see him wake up" he confessed.

Merlin stopped walking and looked Gwaine square in the eye, his jaw set. "Look, we'll take care of him, OK? It's not your fault. It's **not** your fault." And with those four words, Gwaine started tearing up – another sign of proof of how fond he was of the large knight. Merlin immediately went in for a quick, brotherly hug, and immediately felt Gwaine sag against him. "Gwaine, OK, let's go, get off me" he murmured – but no response from the knight.

Alarmed, Merlin set Gwaine up in a semi-sitting position against the wall. Lightly slapping his cheek, he looked for any wounds, and couldn't find any. His magic, pent up after a few hours of unuse, started to flow toward the unconscious young man, searching for a cause. At this point, Merlin had been up for most of the day and night, and he let his magic roam around his still friend, figuring the magic would solve this quicker than his healing skills ever could.

His magic must have found a solution, because at that point, Gwaine groaned and fluttered his eyelashes. Merlin was too focused on his friend coming back from unconsciousness to notice the light gray mist that seemed to flow along the wall behind Gwaine.

" _Gwaine? Do you hear me?"_

The brief episode – it had only been a few minutes, yet felt like a few hours – had taken all the lightness out of the knight. His face looked paler, and Merlin felt his knees start to shake under his palm. A soft question in that familiar lilt came as Merlin continued to check his friend for any wounds, seen or unseen: "Wha' happened?".

Softly smiling, Merlin stood up, frustrated with his lack of findings, and helped Gwaine up while simultaneously answering "You passed out again. You must be exhausted".

"Mmm. Bed sound good" came the only grunted answer from the pale, young knight. Merlin checked up the hallway – they weren't far now, just a few more hallways, and he could deposit Gwaine in bed before running back to Gaius so they could find a cure.

The hallway was quiet at this hour of the night, save for a few servant girls. Used to Gwaine's ways with the tavern and the ladies, they passed over Merlin supporting his friend with no strange looks, just a few snickers of "Ah, that lad don' know when to quit".

Merlin helped the knight find his door, then take off his boots and armor – still on from training – and fall not-so-gracefully into bed. By this point, Gwaine's face was sweating and pale – sure signs of a fever. Merlin looked around for a water pail, and finding one by the door, he quickly sponged off Gwaine's face and neck, with his friend lightly shivering at the touch of the cool water.

Merlin knew this situation could get really ugly really quickly, so he took no time to pull up the covers, put an extra pail by Gwaine's bed – just in case he had an emergency – and bolted out into the hallway. He wasn't too far from Arthur's chambers, so he decided to take a quick detour – with two of his Knights of the Round Table sick, Arthur would want to know straightaway. The extra knowledge that Arthur would post a guard and also someone to check in on Gwaine more than Merlin or Gaius could was even better.

A quick hallway, then two lefts and three rights, and he found himself by the large oak door that was the King's chambers. Knocking quickly and quietly, he entered, fully expecting the King to be fast asleep, snoring as usual. Instead, he came to something he knew all too well – Arthur, fully clothed, staring out of his window at the courtyard and surrounding countryside further away from the castle. This could only mean one thing – Arthur was pondering something.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: Sorry in advance for such a short chapter! We'll find out the root cause of Percival and Gwaine's sickness soon...**_

 _ **Previously**_ _: Instead, he came to something he knew all too well – Arthur, fully clothed, staring out of his window at the courtyard and surrounding countryside further away from the castle. This could only mean one thing – Arthur was pondering something._

Merlin stopped just inside the door, clearing his throat so as to not startle the King. Arthur turned around, expectedly – "Well? Did Gaius find a cure? How's Percival?" tumbled out of his mouth just as quick as Merlin had thought.

" _Well, it's not that easy. Percival has a damaged nerve, and Gaius is with him now. But now something's the matter with Gwaine."_

Arthur replied, "Gwaine? But he seemed fine at training… a bit sluggish, but that's to be expected – we just got back from the western borders the other day".

Merlin remembered the Mercian invasion and camping out near the western borders all too well – in fact, he had been trying to rid the King's royal saddle of all the mud just that morning. The Mercian invasion had shown no clemency toward the scarlet-cloaked knights, and had hit them hard and fast.

"Merlin.." Arthur whistled. "You didn't hear a word I said, did you?"

" _No, I was too busy remembering all the rabbit and squirrel stew I had to cook on the western border."_

Arthur chuckled wryly. "Yes, and it tasted horrible. Now onto business that we can fix – do they have the same symptoms? Percival and Gwaine? They did fight together during the majority of the invasion, maybe they both picked something up?"

Merlin thought hard on this. They were together most of the time… but their symptoms weren't similar. "Not really, Sire, Gwaine has a fever, and Percival just seems exhausted. Right now, Gwaine's in his chambers – would you mind posting a guard? Just in case something comes up?"

Arthur nodded in agreement. "That's fine, I'll let you get back to Gaius."

And with that, Merlin recognized that he was free to go and focus on their – now two – sick patients. He bade Arthur good night, and disappeared down the hallways he knew so well.

The walk to Gaius's chambers seemed shorter, but maybe that was just because Merlin was half-running without even realizing it. He burst in the door and woke Gaius up, who had fallen asleep crouched over a book. Percival's hulking frame was completely still on the table, the only movement coming from the rise and fall of his chest.

"Gaius? Have you found anything about that weird smoke?" Merlin first inquired, though he already knew the answer. Gaius simply answered, "Not yet." With that, Merlin took one of the first books off of the growing stack, and started to read, simultaneously telling Gaius about Gwaine's most recent collapse in the hallway.

" _Well, Arthur's going to post a guard, and no, I didn't see any of the gray smoke. He didn't get a lot of sleep since we had to go out to the western border, so could it just be sleep deprivation?"_

Gaius furrowed his brow. "Even though their symptoms may not exactly match up, it's too close to really be coincidence. You said that they were fighting together earlier?"

Merlin replied, "Yes, earlier today, and earlier this week." He cocked his head. "What are you thinking?"

Gaius turned around and picked up a book with no title, just a single rune on the spine. "I don't know yet".


	6. Chapter 6

_**Previously**_ _: Gaius furrowed his brow. "Even though their symptoms may not exactly match up, it's too close to really be coincidence. You said that they were fighting together earlier?"_

 _Merlin replied, "Yes, earlier today, and earlier this week." He cocked his head. "What are you thinking?"_

 _Gaius turned around and picked up a book with no title, just a single rune on the spine. "I don't know yet"._

Merlin and Gaius read medical journals and foreign tomes throughout the night, until their candles were stubs. Merlin was especially frustrated – these were his friends, and while his magic could find and draw out the pain, it wasn't really the type to start talking to him. He missed the wisdom of Kilgharrah – wait! Kilgharrah had been around for years and years; surely, he could bring some knowledge into dark mists and pain in the Knights.

Before Merlin had a chance to tell Gaius his plan or ready his things, a guard burst in the door. "Gaius! Please help!" Another guard was just behind him, with a pale, sweaty, muttering Gwaine in his arms. Gaius and Merlin reacted at once, showing the guard where the spare cot was, and demanding to know more details.

"I just heard a thump in his room, and when I went to check it out, he had fallen on the ground." That explained the bruising around his right eye. The rough stone floor in the knights' rooms was no match for even a mighty warrior like Gwaine.

Gaius thanked and ushered the guards out, and gave Merlin a look: "This is getting more serious than what we thought. His brow is absolutely on fire, get me a clean cloth and fresh water now". Merlin didn't hesitate, and hurried along getting things needed for Gwaine. "Not Gwaine too, please not Gwaine," he thought. "We're out of fresh water! I'll go get some" – and with that, Merlin was gone, running down the hallway to try to save his friends.

As he was running, he thought long and hard. Mercia. The western borders. The attack had not been preempted with anything, and they only knew about it in Camelot when a villager had run pell-mell into the city. Mercia was thought to be an ally, at least ever since the Mercian Peace Accords – put in place long after Nimueh had tried to poison his goblet the first time Lord Bayard was in Camelot. It was so strange that they chose to attack just last week, and now Percival and Gwaine were sick…

At this point, Merlin had reached the well in the castle courtyard. He attached his pail to the hook, and started cranking as fast as he could, his shoulder burning with the effort. When he was sure he had enough water, he repeated the process, cranking his pail back up. Thirty seconds later, and he had already disconnected his pail, run across the courtyard, and entered the doors.

Merlin could tell Gaius was worried as he ran into the chamber where Gwaine was now keeping Percival company. He breathlessly set the pail of water down by Gaius, and took a close look at his friend. His chest was heaving, trying to breathe; his eyes were closed, lips were pale, and his whole body was sweating and shaking.

"What is it, Gaius? Do you know yet?" Gaius simply shook his head while he pressed the cool cloth to Gwaine's forehead, adding "honestly, he looks a lot like you when you were poisoned by Nimueh, but why had the symptoms not shown themselves earlier? And why are the rest of the knights not sick, if it is poison?"

Merlin took in these words with a somber expression. "What if they were poisoned? What if I got Percival's poison out earlier, and Gwaine had some poison left in them?" Gaius countered, "Well, Merlin, that would explain their two different states, but how can you be sure?"

To Merlin, there was just one solution. Taking a deep breath, he put his hands on Gwaine, for the second time that night. He let his mind focus on Gwaine's feeble breaths, in and out, in and out, and his magic scoured Gwaine's body, looking for pain.

Merlin's eyes roved around the chambers as his hands moved independently. Finally, with a great deep breath, he snatched his hands away, a light gray mist following out of Gwaine's right ear.

Out of relief and exhaustion, Merlin almost toppled from his chair as Gaius said, "Well done, Merlin!" and Gwaine started lightly coughing. Both Merlin and Gaius reached for a small cup for Gwaine to drink from, Gaius winning.

"Wha' happen'd? Did I pass out again?" Gwaine whispered.

Gaius answered, "Yes, but we think we found the answer. Drink this water, and rest easy now".

 **A/N:** Thank you SO MUCH for your patience! Life has really been a hindrance in finishing this story as much as what I'd like, but I'm hoping to get back into some writing this week. Thanks for the reads and reviews - since this is my first story, all feedback is good feedback!


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